I’m thankful for the generosity of the people in my community. I have been working a lot with reclaimed wood lately, and have been feverishly cutting up pallets or any wood I can get my hands on.
Today, I saw an ad for free wood on Craigslist that wasn’t too far the school, so I decided to head over after work to check it out. After I mentioned I was a teacher and that I was using the wood in my classes, he said he didn’t want me sifting through all the garbage wood, and took me into the warehouse and gave me all of these high quality left overs (wood used to make door frames). He told me I could come back any time I wanted, and get as much as I want. Faith in humanity restored! Thanks Mac-Vann Inc.! You guys are awesome!! Some questions in life are difficult to answer, and some are extremely easy. When the question of “what’s your favorite movie?” arises, I never hesitate. Ghostbusters. It’s the perfect movie, and one of the fondest pop culture memories of my childhood. This (unfinished) drawing is half of a two page graphite drawing I have been working on in my Sketchbook. The HGMS Fine Arts Department will be taking a trip to Disney World (pending WCPSS board approval), April 20-25, 2016. If you are a part of Jazz Band, Bulldog Dancers, The Grove Singers or Art Club, please click here to complete the Disney trip intentions form. Be sure to check out the video below for more information. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions! I will be off campus on the following days: August 31 (1/2 day) September 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 October 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 November 20, 23, 24, 25 December 21, 22 January 19, 20 March 14, 15, 16, 17 April 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 May 10, 31 June 1, 2, 3 Make sure you Bring your sketchbook to class on these days!
All assignments will require your Sketchbook and these assignments will be graded!! This past December, three other brave Fine Arts teachers and myself took over 150 parents and students from our school to New York City. We had a blast, but this was one of my favorite moments from the trip. As we waited for our dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe (in Times Square), I looked out over the dinning room and began to film how everyone in the room was wearing a T-shirt that I designed for the trip (the image to the right). Then...something magical happened. 2014 marks the centennial anniversary of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon. To help remember this extinct bird, we are folding origami pigeons to symbolically recreate the great flocks of 100 years ago. The origami patterns we used are courtesy of the Lost Bird Project’s "Fold the Flock" initiative (an arts-based environmental non-profit). At the time of European arrival, Passenger Pigeons accounted for up to forty percent of the land birds of North America. Passenger Pigeons flew in vast flocks, numbering in the billions, sometimes eclipsing the sun from noon until nightfall. Flying sixty miles an hour, they migrated across their geographic range, which stretched from the northeastern and mid-western states and into Canada to the southern states. By creating these origami paper birds, we are contributing to the virtual flock of origami birds being made all over the United States. Several art classes, as well as the help of Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Clark’s enrichment classes contributed 283 origami birds to the flock! To learn more about the Lost Bird Project or the passenger pigeon click here. In Japan, the arrival of May is heralded by the appearance of flying fish: carp-shaped windsocks known as Koinobori flown in honor of Children’s Day or “Tango no Sekku” on May 5th. The carp is considered the strongest and most spirited of fish, because it fights its way upstream against strong currents. The tradition of flying Koinobori outside homes began as a way to honor the sons living within so they would grow up healthy and courageous like a carp. Modern Koinobori are often available in sets that represent the entire family.
Block printing, specifically wood block, also has deep roots in Japanese art. The script style of Japanese lettering was better suited to this printing method that that of movable-type presses, so books and illustrations retained a certain artistic quality even when mass-produced. In this lesson, students designed a “scale-like” shaped block from soft block printing material and apply it repetitively to outdoor safe fabric that has been cut in the shape of a fish. At this time of the year, I feel that it is important to give back to the community and help those who are less fortunate. This is why we are collecting blankets for a community service project that benefits homeless Veterans. These gently used (or new) blankets will be donated to the Veteran's Hospital in Durham, and will be given to homeless men and women who have served our country. Hopefully, your donations can provide them with a little extra warmth this winter.
So why the the beard? Well...as you may know, this month is “No Shave November”. As an incentive for the kids to bring as many blankets as possible, we are offering a contest. The homeroom that brings in the most blankets between this week and December 15th gets to design Mr. Allyn’s beard! Between November 1st and then, I will not shave my beard. The class with the most blankets gets to choose from the beard styles pictured above. I will then wear the selected beard for one whole week! ***Update*** Mr. Capps our school's band director, has agreed to join me in efforts to gather more blankets. He will also wear whatever beard is chosen! Copyright © 2014 by Bryan L. Allyn This painting was auctioned off on Saturday night (February 22, 2014) to benefit the American Heart Association’s 2014 Heart Ball. The Heart Ball is one of the premier American Heart Association fundraising events both locally and across the nation.
I spent just about every day off, and over 60 hours of the last two months to complete this painting of Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. The successful bidder walked away with my painting, and the American Heart Association received all proceeds of the sale ($750). Currently, I am working on a series of paintings that focus on local urban landscapes throughout the Raleigh/Durham area. A unique element of this series of paintings is that I intend to use the grain of the homemade wooden panels I paint upon to accent my work (the sky beyond the buildings was untouched and is represented by the grain of the wood). Copyright © 2013 by Bryan L. Allyn
A reception will be held on December 5, 2013 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibit will be open to the public from December 5, 2013 - January 15, 2015. The exhibit is free to the public. The Block Gallery Raleigh Municipal Building 222 West Hargett Street Raleigh, NC 27610 One of the hardest parts of moving away from the area that you spent most of your life is losing touch with your friends. Social Media makes it easier to stay in touch, but it also can be a constant reminder that you are now somewhat of a ghost. It’s hard to see life moving on without you. Pictures of missed parties, weddings, flag football games, camping trips, and pictures of group outings leave me homesick. I miss you Albany.
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